Executive Summary
- Anthawn Ragan pleaded guilty to the 2013 murder of 10-year-old Aaron Vu and the attempted murder of Hai Vu.
- The sentencing hearing will determine whether Ragan receives life in prison or the death penalty.
- Victim impact statements were delivered by the boy’s parents, detailing the trauma of the nail salon robbery.
- Defense attorneys are citing Ragan’s age at the time of the crime (18) as a mitigating factor against execution.
MIAMI-DADE — A sentencing hearing commenced Monday for Anthawn Ragan, 31, who has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the 2013 armed robbery and fatal shooting of a 10-year-old boy at a Miami-Dade nail salon. Ragan, who admitted to 15 criminal counts including first-degree murder last month, faces a determination between life in prison and the death penalty.
According to court filings, the charges against Ragan include the first-degree murder of Aaron Vu, attempted murder of the boy’s father, Hai Vu, as well as counts of robbery and assault. The incident occurred on November 22, 2013, at the Hong Kong Nails salon located at 14832 Northwest 7th Avenue. Investigators stated that Ragan and an accomplice entered the business, demanded money, and opened fire before fleeing the scene.
During Monday’s proceedings, surviving victims and family members provided victim impact statements. Hai Vu, the salon owner and father of the deceased, described the robbery to the court. “They had guns pointing and shouting for the money,” Hai Vu testified. He told the judge that Ragan struck him with the butt of a pistol and later shot him. “I can’t explain to you how much the pain… I’ve never had this pain,” Vu stated regarding the loss of his son.
Lindsay Ma, the victim’s mother, was also present during the attack. “We did what he demanded, he took all the money and he took off and turned around and I heard boom boom,” Ma testified. Prosecutors played 911 recordings from the night of the shooting, which caused visible distress among family members in the gallery.
Defense attorneys argued against the death penalty, urging the judge to consider Ragan’s age at the time of the crime as a mitigating factor. Ragan was 18 years old when the shooting occurred. “You do not need to impose a sentence of death in order to adequately punish Mr. Ragan for his misdeeds, or to protect the community,” the defense counsel stated, asserting that life imprisonment is a sufficient punishment.
Prosecutors highlighted that Ragan is already serving a life sentence for a separate homicide committed at a motel three weeks prior to the shooting of Aaron Vu. The court is expected to consider this prior violent felony conviction during the penalty phase. The hearing was scheduled to continue on Tuesday.
Capital Sentencing Considerations
The penalty phase in this capital case revolves around the weighing of aggravating versus mitigating factors as mandated by Florida statutes. The court must balance the heinous nature of the crime, the age of the victim, and the defendant’s prior violent criminal history against the defense’s presentation of mitigating circumstances, such as the defendant’s age and maturity at the time of the offense. Because Ragan has pleaded guilty to the charges, the proceedings are strictly focused on the sentencing determination, bypassing the need for a trial on guilt.
